Giant sloths and mastodons coexisted with humans for millennia in Americas, new discoveries suggest
Sloths weren't always slow-moving, furry tree-dwellers. Their prehistoric ancestors were huge—up to 4 tons (3.6 metric tons)—and when startled, they brandished immense claws......»»
Some glaciers in Antarctica have maintained considerable stability over the last millennia
A research study led by Marc Oliva, researcher at the University of Barcelona, analyzes the evolution of glaciers on the Hurd Peninsula in Antarctica, home to the Spanish Juan Carlos I Antarctic Base. This study, published in the journal Quaternary S.....»»
The Talos Principle: Reawakened adds new engine, looks, and content to a classic
The game that was asking lots of questions about AI ethics 10 years ago is back. Are humans just squishy machines? Can an artificially intelligent robot create a true moral compas.....»»
Amazon starts selling Hyundai cars, more brands next year
Amazon Autos has gone live in 48 US cities. Amazon started selling new cars today. The online retailer and Internet giant has had its sights on shifting metal for some time now,.....»»
Saturday citations: The "donut effect"; basically immortal batteries; Neanderthals and H. sapiens
This week, researchers studying data from NASA's Dawn mission reported the identification of 11 sites on Ceres that suggest an internal reservoir of organic materials. A multidisciplinary team published an analysis of the dazzle camouflage patterns d.....»»
How pop-up warnings and chatbots can be used to disrupt online child sex abusers
The scale of online child sexual abuse is immense: estimates suggest there are more than 300 million child victims of online sexual abuse globally......»»
A nature conservation paradox: Invasive species are often threatened in their native habitat
Non-native species introduced by humans are among the main causes of global species decline—they were partly responsible for 60% of the species that have become extinct worldwide in recent decades. Non-native mammals in Central Europe include speci.....»»
3D scans of giant hailstones reveal surprising discoveries that could help predict future storms
Hailstones are formed during thunderstorms, when raindrops are propelled into very cold parts of a cloud, where they freeze. Once the particles are heavy enough, gravity pulls them back towards Earth. As they plummet, they grow into hailstones, which.....»»
Feral female buffalo build friendships based on similar personality traits, study reveals
Similar social personalities strongly influence friendships in humans, yet we know relatively little about how animals choose their friends. But a new study by researchers at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) investigating a unique free-ranging.....»»
Scientists identify mutation that could facilitate H5N1 bird flu virus infection and potential transmission in humans
Avian influenza viruses typically require several mutations to adapt and spread among humans, but what happens when just one change can increase the risk of becoming a pandemic virus?.....»»
Rapid surge in global warming mainly due to reduced planetary albedo, researchers suggest
2023 set a number of alarming new records. The global mean temperature also rose to nearly 1.5 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial level, another record......»»
Google’s December 2024 Pixel Drop just arrived with a boatload of new features
Google's Pixel Drop for December 2024 is here, and it's a giant update. Here's a rundown of all the new features......»»
Study shows chimpanzees perform the same complex behaviors that have brought humans success
A new study suggests that the fundamental abilities underlying human language and technological culture may have evolved before humans and apes diverged millions of years ago. The findings were published 5 December 2024 in the journal PeerJ......»»
Neanderthals and modern humans must be classed as separate species to best track our origins, study claims
A new study published by researchers at London's Natural History Museum and Institute of Philosophy, KU Leuven has reinforced the claim that Neanderthals and modern-day humans (Homo sapiens) must be classed as separate species in order to best track.....»»
"Exceptional" wildfires across Americas in 2024: EU monitor
Severe drought stoked rampant wildfires across North and South America this year and churned up record carbon pollution in Bolivia, Nicaragua and the Pantanal wetlands, according to new data from Europe's climate monitor......»»
The return of Steam Machines? Valve rolls out new “Powered by SteamOS” branding.
New branding guidelines suggest official third-party hardware support is imminent. Longtime Valve watchers likely remember Steam Machines, the company's aborted, pre-Steam Deck at.....»»
Biologist explores why humans have sex—and sexes—in a world where life requires neither
University of Maryland biology Professor Eric Haag has spent his career studying animal reproduction, but people's sex lives never factored into his research. That changed in 2014 when a cancer diagnosis prompted Haag to take stock of his career......»»
World War One dazzle camouflage was not as well understood as it might have been, researchers suggest
Researchers from Aston University and Abertay University have found that World War One dazzle ships—vessels painted in a type of camouflage pattern to make it difficult for enemies to identify and destroy—weren't as effective as originally though.....»»
Isotope analysis reveals mammoth as key food source for ancient Americans
Scientists have uncovered the first direct evidence that ancient Americans relied primarily on mammoth and other large animals for food. Their research sheds new light on both the rapid expansion of humans throughout the Americas and the extinction o.....»»
Archaeological remains in Alaska show humans and dogs bonded 12,000 years ago
"Dog is man's best friend" may be an ancient cliché, but when that friendship began is a longstanding question among scientists. A study led by a University of Arizona researcher is one step closer to an answer to how Indigenous people in the Americ.....»»
Astronomers close to solving mystery of how universe"s giant galaxies formed
Astronomers say they are close to solving an intergalactic mystery about the creation of the universe's biggest galaxies which has puzzled experts for decades......»»